Tower Blog

Green Revolution or Green Pollution?

September 12, 2008 by Romy

Lately I can’t help but sing the first few lines of Cheers theme song in my head:

“Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. Wouldn’t you like to get away?”

It’s true — in our post-9/11-failing economy-limited resources-environmentally threatened world we live within wouldn’t it be great if we could all just get away? But, of course it’s not possible and with the release of Thomas L. Friedman’s new book, Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution it looks like we’ve actually got a long way to go before we’re “in the green” so to speak.

Friedman is a New York Times columnist and has earned a number of Pulitzer prize awards for his work in journalism. This book will likely be noticed by the Pulitzer jury this year for its strikingly insightful theories on what Americans can do to help ensure our earth doesn’t implode.

Over population, oil, consumption and the usual list of suspects are to blame for the current environmental mess we’re in, but they will be our downfall if we continue to operate as blindly as before. Friedman is calling for a revolution — a Green Revolution. We have to start thinking critically about our actions and the way we want others (countries, citizens, etc.) to see America.

Whether or not Friedman’s book will actually garner the change he calls for (and not just be a book read by the already converted choir) is interesting to consider. Hard, Flat and Crowded works to add further “fuel” (phosphate-free fuel of course) to the fire of the upcoming election. Will the candidates speak directly to the issues he’s raising?

One other criticism is that for a book calling for a radical change in the way we live/have lived, it is not very radical in its execution. Dare we quote pop-culture guru pop-culture guru Marshall McLuhan’s “medium is the message” and ask Friedman how we are expected to change and be radical when the book itself is so stodgy and old-school. Is it printed on recycled paper? Who knows? Will this book end up in the pile of other books on environmental damage in 10 years? Probably.

Now, I’m not suggesting that Thomas Friedman’s book, Hot, Flat and Crowded is not worth reading. In fact - READ IT. You’ll probably end up talking about it somewhere, and if it makes you re-think and be conscience of your actions than Friedman has succeeded in his goal for writing this book.

I’m just saying: plant a tree in honor of the one it took to print the book.